Amelia, the daughter of Augustus’s tutor, seeks revenge against Augustus for her father’s death. She asks for vengeance as a provision of her marriage to Cinna, the grandson of Pompey, who was more deeply wronged by Augustus than Amelia. Her friend Fulvia believes that the plot against Augustus’s life can be successful only if anger and hatred are not apparent, especially since Augustus holds Amelia in such high esteem that courtiers often ask her to act as an intermediary in affairs at court. The two women debate the worth of Augustus as compared to the cruelties exercised to establish him in his high position. Amelia thinks the winning of love through the destruction of a tyrant is worth all the risk involved, but self-glorification seems to Fulvia to be more of the impetus behind the plot than either love or desire for vengeance—a thought that almost causes Amelia to waver in deference to her endangered and beloved Cinna.

Cinna, however, believes the plot has an excellent chance of success. All the conspirators seem to him as desirous of vengeance and as eager for the rewards of love as he is, though their inspiration is the result of his oratorical eloquence in reciting his own as well as the historical grievances against the emperor. Cinna will, while bearing the sacrificial cup at the next day’s ceremony of thanksgiving to the gods, stab Augustus to death. His friend Maximus will hold back the mob, while others will surround Cinna. Even though he proclaims that he cares not whether he lives or dies as long as honor is upheld—an honor not unlike that of Brutus and Cassius, the murderers of Julius Caesar, Amelia hastens to add—he believes that the people will then accept him as emperor. Evander, a freed servant of Cinna, brings news that Augustus wants to see both Cinna and Maximus, an event that upsets their plans and strikes fear into Amelia’s heart. After the lovers swear to die for each other, Amelia retires to Livia’s side, while Cinna goes to confront Augustus.

Augustus prefaces his remarks with a long history of human desire for the empty bauble of power and then asks the two young men to decide his fate, whether he should be the emperor or a private citizen. Both conspirators swear that Augustus, so much nobler than Julius Caesar, should remain supreme in power as the rightful ruler of a grateful empire. Although the sentiment redounds to Augustus’s credit, neither feels it to be more than weakness to want a republic when a monarchy can be...

(The entire section is 1019 words.)

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